1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to an improved method, system and program for presenting a food menu electronically, and in particular to a method, system and program for efficiently specifying an electronic food menu. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method, system and program for specifying an electronic menu for a particular customer on a data processing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
The global economy has made the business of selling more competitive than ever. Businesses that do not maximize customer satisfaction and profitability will typically not survive in today's markets. Businesses are therefore demanding tools and methods to provide their competitive edge.
In the area of food sales, maximizing customer satisfaction is particularly important to businesses. It is commonly recognized that what and when a person eats has a great impact on a person's overall health and well being. Therefore, in maximizing customer satisfaction, there has been a shift towards providing the customer with menus that provide for customer needs. For example, many menus indicate entrees for heart health conscious customers.
In addition to heart healthy selections, other factors come together for customers selecting from a menu. For example a customer may make menu selections based on personal health reasons such as diabetes, heart disease, food allergies and sensitivity to heart burn. In addition, a recovering alcoholic or one who avoids caffeine may select items that do not include these substances. In another example, a customer may select food based on philosophical reasons, such as selecting foods that are only grown organically. Alternatively, an entree's assumed aesthetic effect on the body may effect a customer's selection depending on whether the customer is attempting to lose or gain weight. Further, religious reasons may frequently prohibit not only what can be eaten and when, but how the food is prepared.
While there have been efforts to provide more information about food on a menu, it is typically difficult to know what one is eating, when dining out or purchasing preprocessed food. Some menus now include a list of some ingredients and some waiters may know the main ingredients of dish, however finding out a list of every ingredient and preparation thereof is typically not available or there is not an efficient way for the information to be provided. Likewise, requesting actions that deviate from the norm are often miscommunicated enroute to the cooking/preparation staff. For example, requesting that an ingredient, like onions, be removed.
Another difficulty in purchasing food for some can be the way that a menu is provided. For example, seeing-impaired customers typically have difficulty reading a menu in restaurants and other food venues. In addition, when in a foreign country, menus in a language understood by the customer may not be available. Moreover, when in a foreign country converting currency to determine the relative expense of an item in one's typical currency can be time consuming.
Therefore, in view of the aforementioned, it would be preferable to provide a method for customers to easily attain a list of menu items which meet their ordering criteria and menu items which do not meet their ordering criteria. In addition, it would be preferable to provide a method for cooking/preparation staff to receive customer's orders with any special requests in an efficient manner. Further, it would be preferable to provide a method for rendering a menu such it is easily understandable according to a user's preferences.